Cinderella's Sister
by bluejay16
Summary: It wasn't a pumpkin carriage. It was a circus caravan. And the fairy godmother? That was me. Hi, I'm Xion, the ugly stepsister. This story isn't about Cinderella. If you're looking for fairytale fluff, go somewhere else. This story is about me. Me and my stupid one-sided love.
1. Plot Holes, Flowers, and Scars

A/N: What is wrong with me? I'm a complete Namixas-shipper, and Namine's one of my fav characters... but I had to make a story with Xion as the MC. I just did. The story starts off a little slow and I admit the first chapter was badly written, but it was the best I could do now. I have finals this week, but I had to get this off my mind. The first chapter will probably undergo an edit later on. The actual start of the story begins next chapter and the writing will get better from here on. Consider yourself fooled, and just stick with me till chapter two?

Today's song [MIKA - HAPPY ENDING]

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We all know the story.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful and kind girl named Ella. After her loving father passed away, the greedy step-mother and the ugly step-sisters made Ella's life a living hell. But with a pumpkin, a few mice and a swoosh of her fairy godmother's magic wand, Ella went to the ball all dolled up where she met the handsome prince. They fell in love after one dance and as things were getting interesting, the clock stroke twelve. Ella vanished, leaving the prince with one glass slipper and a broken heart. Well, the crazy prince flipped and turned the neighborhood upside down trying to find the owner of the shoe, and you know how the rest goes. He finds his princess, the shoe fits perfectly, and they live happily ever after.

What a load of bullshit. Full of lookism, sexism, and plot holes. Even when I'm being very understanding, there are still flaws that are unacceptable. I mean, why didn't the shoe disappear with the rest of the magic? How could the prince be the only wish the girl's heart made when she'd never even met the prince before? And let's not even get started on the glass slipper fiasco. If it were 'true love' he should have at least been able to recognize her face.

So what really happened? Let me start from the top.

When I was five and my big sister Larxene was seven, Dad's business went bankrupt. I don't remember much, but according to Larxene, things became really bad and we went from house to house, hiding from angry investors. As days turned into weeks, depression and guilt took over Dad until one day Mom found him hanging from the ceiling with a note saying 'Sorry.' Even years after, Mom sometimes had this really sad look in her eyes, and I could tell she was thinking of Dad. Larxene feels nothing but anger towards how irresponsibly he left us. I hardly remember him, so I don't know how to miss him. In the end, the investors caught up with us. I guess it must have been an ugly sight. Dad swinging from a rope, Mom in hysterics, Larxene with a bloody fist from punching the wall… They took pity and allowed us a week to hold a simple funeral. While we were burying Dad in the town's cemetery, Mom met a fellow griever. He had lost his wife to the plague a few months back. A conversation struck up, and after hearing what happened, the man offered to pay the debt in her stead, saying that his wife would have wanted him to do so. Mom declined a few times, but he was insistent. He said she could work at his house in exchange. Frankly, with two young daughters to care for, she really couldn't think about her pride. With a face flaming with shame, Mom said yes.

The man turned out to be loaded. He lived in a small mansion just off the center of town. I'm sure he could have gotten a castle or something, but when I asked him, he once told me he thought it unnecessary. There were a few workers there already, so Mom became a little nervous. When she said that her help seemed needless, he told Mom that her job was special. The man had a six-year-old daughter, but because he was always off on business trips, he needed a loving figure to take care of the motherless child. Mom was to take care of her as if the daughter was one of her own. Well, Mom's gorgeous and when she smiles, she exudes a kind of warmth that makes anybody feel special and loved, so I could tell why he chose her.

Except the townspeople didn't see her that way. They called her a money-crazy witch. In their twisted minds, all they could see was a greedy woman with no morals who seduced a wealthy gentleman that had recently lost his wife. Even the workers in the house who knew the situation weren't very welcoming of Mom until they got to know firsthand that she was honestly incapable of doing such blasphemy.

Well, Mom did what the man asked and took care of the daughter. The daughter's name was Namine. She still remembered her mother, and Mom was just what the girl needed. They became really close. As if hogging up all of Mom's time in the day wasn't enough, Namine began joining our bed at night, leaving Larxene and me no time to be with mom, just the three of us. And our family had desperately needed time alone to mend the still oozing wounds left by Dad. Mom apologized to us, but the damage was done. Our hearts didn't mend properly and ended up with ugly scars. Is that why another name for love is affection? It's scary how it affects us. As years passed, Namine grew up a sunflower. The way she was supposed to, as everyone's angel – beautiful, kind, and lovely. Who wouldn't when you get everything you want? Larxene became a rose covered in thorns - a cold, proud, and overwhelming kind of beauty. Me, I couldn't even become a real flower. Plain, sarcastic, and unconfident, the most I could become was a wallflower. The two of us didn't like people in general, and in turn, they didn't like us.

One day, the man came home with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. I still remember that day. It was on my fifteenth birthday, not that it interested him at the very least. As a gift, Mom had given me the necklace that Dad had given to her when she turned fifteen. It was the start of their relationship and one of her most treasured possessions. She was carefully putting it on me when the man burst into the room with the flowers. He knelt on one knee and proposed to Mom. The necklace slid from Mom's hand and I could only watch as it crashed onto the floor. The paopu fruit pendant in the middle cracked neatly in half. When I looked at Mom, she was covering her mouth with her hands. But she wasn't looking at the necklace. She was looking at the man as if she was the happiest woman in the world.

She took the flowers with quivering hands. "Y..yes. If it's allowed, I would." she said.

The man picked up Mom bridal style and whirled her around. "Of coure, my love, we shall plan our wedding immediately!"

A sardonic voice cut in.

"When did this happen?"

Larxene's face was dark.

The man set Mom down. Both of them still had stupid grins on their faces.

Mom blushed. "It's been some time."

"I fell for her a long while back. It was her lovingness. She was just so good to Namine."

That explained why the man was home so frequently during the past few months, and why Mom seemed out of it these days.

"Larxene? Xion?" It was Mom. She wore a worried look.

"Can I have this happiness? Will it be okay?"

The worry lines on her face suddenly seemed deeper than I remembered. Ever since Dad passed away, Mom had barely been alive. When was the last time she smiled the way she did today? Did I have the right to strip Mom from this happiness? My lips refused to make the word 'no'.

 _Stupid mom._ _Paopus are supposed to last forever. Flowers wilt in a week._

"…Sure, Mom."

It seemed Larxene was thinking along the same lines as me, because while her face looked like she chewed on lemons, she said, "…Whatever."

Mom beamed and she looked at the man with happy eyes.

But then the person we least expected to oppose spoke up. She spoke in a quiet unhappy voice.

"Dad, does this mean she'll be replacing Mom?"

We all turned to look at her.

Namine turned bright red. "I don't want it… I mean... I heard the stories from the marketplace."

Mom looked lost. She looked towards the man. But the stupid man didn't chastise his daughter, defend our mom, or say anything. He just stood there.

Mom quietly set the flowers on the table. "Perhaps it was impossible after all." She tried to put on a smile and failed. "I..I need to go out for a while." She hurriedly left the room.

That put the man out of his stupor. "Wait!" He followed Mom out.

That left the three of us in the room. Larxene was looking Namine in disbelief. I'm pretty sure I had a similar look on my face as well.

Larxene glowered at the girl.

"You've got some nerve."

Namine flinched, but didn't shrink away. "I don't understand."

"You of all people shouldn't be able to say that with that stupidly innocent face of yours."

"I just like the way things are right now."

"Our mom's been acting as your mother for the past few years, and you never had a problem with that. But when she's actually going to become your mother, you can't have that? Unbelievable. You want to have your cake and eat it too, don't you. Just what are people to you?"

"…I heard the stories from the marketplace," she repeated.

"What stories, you imbecile? It was because of your pathetic father that Mom's being misunderstood the way she is! You should yourself know very well by now what kind of person my mom is."

"If my dad's so pathetic, why didn't you say no?" she shot back.

"You're right. I'm against this. I hate your silly face, and I can't stand that man. He says he loves her, but he can't even say a word to protect her from his bratty daughter. That sad excuse of a man can't protect my mom. He doesn't deserve her."

Namine bristled, but couldn't say anything back.

"But that weak selfish man is what makes Mom happy. You saw her face, she was f*cking glowing! After all she's done for you, she can't have this?"

Namine remained silent.

Larxene let out a scornful laugh. "Of course, a spoiled princess like you wouldn't be able to understand what I'm saying. Keep living that way." She stormed out of the room.

Only the two of us were left. I leaned down to pick up the broken necklace. We stood awkwardly.

Namine spoke first. "If you have anything to say, please do."

I glanced at her from the side of my eyes. She was holding back tears.

"Um... well, I don't like you and I don't like your dad. I don't like this situation either. But sometimes, it doesn't matter what you don't like. If it's for those precious to you, it _shouldn't_ matter. Not just my mom, but your dad too. You saw how happy he was."

It became silent between us again.

"…Well, you decide. See you around."

"Xion?"

I turned to look at the girl. She blushed.

"I...I was wrong… and I'm sorry this had to happen on your birthday..."

"Yeah, me too. Tell your father it was my birthday for me, will you?"

In the end, they got married. Namine did what I asked because the man sheepishly gave me a pink frilly hair clip the next time he saw me…. Yeah. I'm sure it's still lying around somewhere. It was awkward for us. We had a hard time opening up to one another, but we were all trying our best for the sake of the ones we love. After a year, just when everything seemed to be okay again, the man had to leave on a business trip.

"Come home safe." Mom had begged of the man. It was futile. The ship turned up wrecked on an island two months later with no survivors. Mom refused to believe it until his wedding ring came home along with a death certificate.

It broke everyone. The fragile ties that were holding us together shattered and hearts began bleeding again. Mom barely ate and locked herself up in her room. Larxene dropped all pretense of being lovely and harmless, and went all out with her thorns. Namine found comfort with the animals in the house, and started spending time with the cook and maids – the ones that had known both her mother and father. I couldn't stand the stuffiness in the house, and desperately made my way outdoors where I could lose myself in the bustling crowd.

This is where the story begins. The story of Cinderella, the prince, the flamethrower, and Cinderella's sister.

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	2. Circus, Cats, and Beginnings

A/N: Update long loooong overdue. I repent. I was wrong. I'm sorry. Unfortunately, further updates will continue to be sporadic until December ends, because that's when college applications finish. Right now, my brain is effed up and my soul in tatters from writing 'introducing me' essays, groveling for recommendation letters, and filling out application forms. Other than that, many thank you's and much love for my feeders. You don't know how much those yummy hearts and reviews soothed my battered soul.

Today's song: [Rachel Platten - Better Place]

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I remember when I was nine the traveling circus visited our town. Mom was going to take the three of us there and we were all so excited. You know, the way little kids are. All resent was forgotten and for days we could talk about nothing other than what we were going to do and what fun we were going to have. We did the chores like crazy to earn as much pocket money as we could before the circus. And then the morning before the big day I came down with the chicken pox. Just me. Before taking Larxene and Namine to the circus, Mom firmly told me I wasn't allowed to go until the last spots were gone. Well, my spots disappeared along with the circus. By the time I got better, I wasn't able to see a single clown. Namine patted my back sympathetically and told me the circus visited their town every 4 years, so there was always next time. Larxene just laughed in my face.

The next time they came, I was 13. We were all hyped up again. But it was as if something stood between the circus and I. The pork on my dinner plate the night before was half done and I ended up with food poisoning. I spent most the week sitting in the lavatory or throwing up the contents of my stomach.

Now, two weeks before I turned 17, the circus was again in town. The town had been buzzing about it for weeks and finally, they were here. I walked down the street towards the main plaza. I was finally going to see the circus. But with each step I took, my feelings became complicated. The streets were livelier than ever. Warm delicious smells emanated from food stalls, clowns were here and there blowing up balloon animals, and beautiful women in racy clothing handed out pamphlets, advertising the show on tomorrow night. It was late into the afternoon; the sky was streaked with red and orange hues. The air was cool. Everything was festive and magical – just as I had imagined. But why was I feeling so blue?

Maybe some ice-cream would make me feel better. I approached an ice-cream stall. Just as I was about to order, a man cut in front of me. I frowned and was about to tell the man off.

"I'll have three chocolate cones and two vanilla. Can you hurry? My family's waiting for me at the menagerie."

I didn't really need ice cream right now. I walked away.

"Come Selphie, they have a mystical talking bird over there!"

A red headed girl dragged a younger girl into the crowd.

"Don't go too fast, girls. Wait for your sister!"

A woman called out to them, holding a little blonde girl in one hand.

I wrapped my cloak tighter around me and leaned away from the crowd. Perhaps the circus wasn't for me after all.

I started retracing my steps when I heard an enraged yowl at the furthest corner of my hearing. Looking off at the side, I found five boys cornering a dirty black cat at an alley. A few were throwing stones at the cat. They seemed to be having a game of who could hit the cat the most. A few townspeople gave the boys a disapproving look but didn't do anything to stop them. Others made the sign against the devil after seeing the cat and hurriedly went their way. Superstitions.

I bit my lip. I was having an inner debate with myself on whether to intervene or not.

"MEEOOW!" A rather large stone hit the cat on the side of the head. The boys laughed in unison.

"That's what ya get, ya dirty black devil!" A fair-haired boy sneered at the cat.

The cat hissed, only to be bombarded with more rocks.

That did it.

 _They're a bunch of kids, two-thirds my height. I can deal with them._

I pulled my hood to cover my face and moved towards them, stooping down to pick up a couple pebbles along the way.

"Why don't you leave the poor cat alone?"

The boys turned their attention to me. Once they realized I was alone and only a female, their faces twisted into disgusting smirks.

"Sorry, mom told me not to listen to strangers."

"You're not the boss of us, you can't tell us what to do."

"Yeah, just mind your own beeswax, ugly lady."

"She _is_ ugly, isn't she?

"Very."

"That's why she covers her face. Because she's ugly."

"Oh, really?"

"Why else would she cover her face?

"Ah, you're right."

"And ugly people are evil."

"Yeah, ugly is evil!"

"Makes perfect sense to me."

"And she's trying to protect the devil!"

"She must be the devil's henchman!"

"A witch! A witch!"

"Kill the witch!"

"BOOOO!"

The boys started giving off an air of hostility. They had found their new target.

I stumbled back in surprise. I had forgotten how vicious little boys could be.

"Attack!" It was the fair-haired boy again.

They started hurling their tiny rocks at me. I stood there getting hit. After a while, I crossed my arms. One thing about little boys throwing rocks at you. It doesn't hurt that much, but it puts you in a really bad mood really quickly.

The snotty little brats.

When there were no more stones within the reach of the boys, I made my move.

"Oh, you done already?"

They looked at me in terror. They started edging away.

I grinned evilly. "My turn."

When they saw the sinister smile on my face, they broke into a full run.

"The witch is going to kill us!"

"Help us!"

"WAAAAAH!"

I discovered my talent then and there. I was really good at hitting annoying boys with pebbles. Every throw was a bulls-eye.

"Ow! Ow!"

"That hurts!"

"I'm telling my mommy!"

"This ain't over, ugly witch lady!"

I shook my fist at the retreating figures, "Cowards!"

When I lost sight of the last of the boys, I glanced back at the alleyway. Surprisingly, the cat hadn't run off. It was still sitting in the same position, looking at me with alarm. When I came closer, it tensed and hissed, but didn't try to run away.

"That's weird, why aren't you running away?"

I kneeled closer and examined the cat. I understood how the dimwits managed to corner the cat in the first place. Its left hind foot was severely injured. And now its forehead had a bloody cut.

"Those brats…" I cursed under my breath.

"C'mon kitty, I'll take you home and get you all patched u- Ow!" I extended a hand only for the cat to lash out and scratch me with its claws.

"That won't work." A deep voice mused from behind me. I shot up and whirled around, instinctively clutching my hood all the while. A tall and slender redhead and a blonde with gravity defying hair were looking at me with interested eyes. The blonde seemed my age, while the redhead looked a few years older.

"How..how long were you there?" I stuttered.

The redhead smirked. "Long enough to see your heroic rescue. Nice fight, by the way. The way you seriously fought the children was _very_ memorable."

I blushed. "They were evil beyond their years."

The redhead laughed. "They were kids, barely out of their nappies."

" _You_ try fighting off those pests!"

The blonde grinned. "Well, I thought you were pretty cool. In the end, you saved the cat."

I looked at the blonde, surprised. He had an attractive voice and was hella cute. "Um..thanks."

"Yeah, and the way you threw those pebbles. Merciless and accurate. Have you ever thought of joining the circus? They're recruiting knife-throwers."

I growled at the slick redhead. "Well, you did a fine job staying out of sight, waiting until it was over to slink out."

The redhead smirked. "You seemed to be holding your own pretty well by yourself. Didn't look like you needed help."

I squinted at the two strangers. "Who _are_ you anyway?"

"MEOW."

We all turned to face the cat.

"Ah, right. I wasn't here to chit-chat. Scooch over, lady."

Dumbly, I stepped aside as the redhead approached the cat while patting his pockets.

"There it is." He took out a few strips of chicken. Gracefully, he sat down near the cat and started tearing the strips into smaller pieces. When he was done, he offered the chicken to the cat, who nuzzled the hand a few times before gingerly taking the morsel of meat.

I looked down at the fresh claw marks on my hand and back at the disgustingly heart-warming scene. "What?" I managed to sputter out.

The blonde laughed. "Don't worry, cats are like that to whoever gives them food."

I snorted. "So asshole over there's been feeding the cat? He looks more likely to eat it."

The boy laughed softly. It was pleasant to hear. "He found that cat with its leg squashed by a brick when he came to town a week ago." He shrugged. "He brought him here and has been taking care of the unlucky cat ever since. He thinks the cat was an offspring of some pet cat, but was tossed out because of his color. We came to feed him just when you were telling the boys to bug off. He doesn't show it, but he was really impressed with what you did. As was I."

I blushed and looked away. "Why doesn't he take the cat home? The streets are too dangerous for an injured cat."

"The boss doesn't like cats. We have a family of acrobatic white mice – worth a fortune. He doesn't want to risk them being eaten." Redhead was back.

"What's its name?" I asked.

"Not an it."

"Eh?"

"The cat's not an it. It's a he."

I rolled my eyes. "What's _his_ name?"

"I didn't give him one. Couldn't afford to get too attached to the little guy. I was planning on finding him a decent home sooner or later, they'll be the ones to name him." He looked sideways at me. "If you're planning on taking him home, give him a good name."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you approve of me."

"You'll do."

Instead of replying, I repeated the question I had asked before. "Who are you?"

The redhead's mouth stretched into a Cheshire's grin and he jutted a thumb towards the blonde. "The dumb blonde over there's named Roxas." Roxas smiled warmly in greeting. I hesitantly smiled back. The name was strangely familiar. Where had I heard it before? "And the dashing guy talking to you is Axel. Got it memorized?" He slung an arm around my shoulders. "Now, lady, who are _you_?"

"Xion."

"Well Xion, now that we're acquainted, this hood was annoying me."

"Wha- hey!" Before I could stop him, Axel threw off my hood.

"Oops, my bad,"

"You did that on purpose!"

"I wanted to know who I was talking to. Is that a problem? You overly sensitive about your looks?"

I glared at the redhead and reached for my hood again.

"It's not that. It's just… a pain when people recognize me."

Roxas looked at me curiously.

"Why?"

I made a face and put on the hood again. "It's sort of complicated…both of you aren't from around here, are you.

Roxas shook his head. "Axel's part of the circus. I came around the same time the same time as them, last week. We met by coincidence and hit off."

"The circus?"

Axel grinned. "Professional flamethrower. If you need to burn anyone, call me."

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'll keep that in mind."

Roxas looked like he was about to inquire further into something uncomfortable for me. Before he opened his mouth, I quickly changed the topic.

"Is there any way I can treat the cat's leg? It looks pretty bad to me."

Axel got serious. "He won't even let me go near that leg. And if he stays out here on the streets, treating him would be meaningless. Can you take him home?"

I nodded. "My family won't care."

Axel rummaged his pocket once more. His fingers caught something and he sighed while he brought it out. "The time has come to use this."

Roxas' eyes widened. "Axel, why is a _fish_ coming out of your pocket?"

I sniffed. "Axel, it reeks of alcohol."

The redhead nodded soberly. "The only way you can deal with cats is with food. I soaked this thing in wine for 5 hours. It'll knock him out for an hour or so."

* * *

The house was desolate when I came back home. The day was finished for even the servants. With the drugged cat draped over one arm, I knocked on Mom's door and entered.

Mom was sitting up in bed as usual. She slightly tilted her head to acknowledge me.

"Hi Mom."

"…"

Like always, she didn't answer me.

"Um…The circus came a week ago. I saw them for the first time. It was great."

"…..."

Okay, this was pointless.

"Well, the thing is, I brought home a cat. It was… _He_ was injured and getting beat up by some kids. I couldn't just pass him by. Is it okay for him to stay?"

Mom finally turned her head to look at me. Her blank eyes came into focus. She stared at the snoozing cat.

"He's sleeping now, but he'll wake up in half an hour. Oh and he's not bad luck, I swear. He can even catch mice to earn his stay."

"…."

"If you're against him, just say so. For now, I'll just go patch him up. He's hurt real bad. See you, mom."

"…What's his name?"

Not believing my ears, I turned around. "Mom?"

"What's his name?"

I looked down at the black cat on my arm. He was snoring peacefully, unaware of the miracle he had caused. Would this cat be the little devil people say he was? Or would he mark the beginning of brighter days, like the morning star?

"Lucifer. His name is Lucifer."

* * *

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